Are you still trying to catch up on movies that opened over Christmas? No new films debut this week, meaning that schedules remain the same based on the Christmas Day opening of "All the Money in the World." This will be a busy week for moviegoers. If you venture to a city such as Columbus, Ohio, or New York City, well, you will not have time to watch all the speciality films showing in platform/limited release.

On Friday, Dec. 29, a film that President Donald Trump viewed (!) will open --- The Darkest Hour --- at Marquee's Pullman and Galleria. It's the story of Winston Churchill during days before a potential invasion of Britain by Hitler.

Movie Nation writer Roger Moore who has seen the film wrote:

Thanks to Gary Oldman's unerring portrayal of a deeply flawed man rising to face a crisis, and inspiring a nation to rise with him, it's an equally actually worthy reminder that there have been bad times before today's and that people great and small saw them through."

A viewer wrote "Churchill saw that giving in to a tyrant meant being vanquished with no reason to live. We were in tears watching Churchill...." Note: No battle scenes, guns, or explosions... just exceptional acting and interesting story.

Hurriedly reshot , in part, to delete Kevin Spacey, "All the Money in the World" has gained praise for performances, location, period detail, and the tension of the one month kidnapping terror. One critic wrote that "people with extreme wealth are sio divorced from reality they almost become another species." It emphasizes how a woman fights a universe of apathetic and powerful males fighting any which way she can to prevail.

"The Disaster Artist" will open as an exclusive at Park Place Stadium Cinemas in Charleston. (12:30-2:40-4:50-7:10-9:50).

Friday, Jan. 5 and Jan. 12 will see the addition of some speciality films at area cinemas. Titles are not yet in stone, but among contenders are "Molly's Game," "Shape of Water," and (Jan. 12) "The Post." Horror sequel, "Insidious Last Key" comes out Jan. 5. "Padidington 2," and "Proud Mary" are nationwide on Jan. 12.

"Last Jedi" dipped 67.5% from its opening week, but came back strongly on Christmas day giving it nearly $95 million for the 4 day holiday. "Jumanji Welcome to the Jungle" thundered past studio and experts banking over $72 million. "Pitch Perfect 3," which had been expected to battle for second, took in only $26.4 million at the boxoffice.

Rounding out the top ten: The Greatest Showman; Coco; Ferdinand; Downsizing; All the Money in the World; Father Figures and Darkest Hour.

The political allegory "The Post," concerning the Pentagon Papers that stars Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep has averaged four times the "Last Jedi" national per screen average. It's only on NINE screens. It goes nationwide Jan. 12.

New Year's weekend projections will be added as they become available. Expect "Jedi" and "Jumanji" to continue at one and two.

FLASHBACK

Is it a Christmas movie or isn’t it? Who cares? It’s one of the best action thrillers ever. Bruce Willis is New York cop John McClane, in LA during Christmas to visit his estranged wife Holly (Bonnie Bedelia). When the skyscraper in which Holly works is taken over by a murderous gang it falls to McClane to save the day. Alan Rickman is superbly sinister as the chief villain. (“Do you really think you have a chance against us, Mr. Cowboy?”) Rated R

SUNDAY DEC 31 AND WEDNESDAY JAN 3 @ 3:30 & 7 P.M.

NEW MOVIE SUMMARIES

DARKEST HOUR

The fate of Western Europe hangs on Winston Churchill in the early days of World War II. The newly appointed British prime minister must decide whether to negotiate with Hitler or fight on against incredible odds. During the next four weeks in 1940, Churchill cements his legacy as his courageous decisions and leadership help change the course of world history.

ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD

The film follows the kidnapping of 16-year-old John Paul Getty III (Charlie Plummer) and the desperate attempt by his devoted mother Gail (Michelle Williams) to convince his billionaire grandfather (Christopher Plummer) to pay the ransom. When Getty Sr. refuses, Gail attempts to sway him as her son's captors become increasingly volatile and brutal. With her son's life in the balance, Gail and Getty's advisor (Mark Wahlberg) become unlikely allies in the race against time that ultimately reveals the true and lasting value of love over money.

GREATEST SHOWMAN:

"The Greatest Showman" is a bold and original musical that celebrates the birth of show business and the sense of wonder we feel when dreams come to life. Inspired by the ambition and imagination of P.T. Barnum, The Greatest Showman tells the story of a visionary who rose from nothing to create a mesmerizing spectacle that became a worldwide sensation.

JUMANJI:

In the brand new adventure Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, the tables are turned as four teenagers in detention are sucked into the world of Jumanji. When they discover an old video game console with a game they've never heard of, they are immediately thrust into the game's jungle setting, into the bodies of their avatars, played by Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, and Karen Gillan. What they discover is that you don't just play Jumanji - Jumanji plays you. They'll have to go on the most dangerous adventure of their lives, or they'll be stuck in the game forever.

DOWNSIZING:

Downsizing imagines what might happen if, as a solution to over-population, Norwegian scientists discover how to shrink humans to five inches tall and propose a 200-year global transition from big to small. People soon realize how much further money goes in a miniaturized world, and with the promise of a better life, everyman Paul Safranek (Matt Damon) and wife Audrey (Kristen Wiig) decide to abandon their stressed lives in Omaha in order to get small and move to a new downsized community - a choice that triggers life-changing adventures.

FATHER FIGURES:

Peter and Kyle Reynolds are two brothers whose eccentric mother raised them to believe their father had died when they were young. When they discover this to be a lie, they set out to find their real father, learning more about their mother than they probably ever wanted to know.

PITCH PERFECT 3:

Now graduated from college and out in the real world where it takes more than a cappella to get by, the Bellas return in Pitch Perfect 3. After the highs of winning the World Championships, the Bellas find themselves split apart and discovering there aren't job prospects for making music with your mouth. But when they get the chance to reunite for an overseas USO tour, this group of awesome nerds will come together to make some music, and some questionable decisions, one last time.